March 15, 1999
Here's a brief list of some of the features of the 21 online brokers Barron's tested. For full details, check their respective Web sites.
| WHAT CAN BE TRADED ONLINE? | ||||||||
| Company Website / Phone | Stocks | Mutuals | Options | Bonds | Other | Online Amenities | Limit Order Commissions | High Account Balance Benefits |
| Accutrade www.accutrade.com1 1-800-882-4887 | L, S | LO, NL, NTF | Yes | Yes | Asset Allocation Worksheet, links to 3rd party research | $29.95 | None | |
| Ameritrade www.ameritrade.com2 1-800-454-9272 | L, S | LO, NL | Yes | Yes | Canadian exchg | MarketGuide, news | $13 | None |
| Brown & Company www.brownco.com3 1-800-822-2021 | L, S | No | Yes | Yes | Long options in IRA | Links to add'l research. No free research | $10 | None |
| Datek www.datek.com4 1-888-463-2835 | L, S | LO, NL, NTF | Yes | Yes | Free RT quotes, BigCharts, NewsAlert, Thomson | $9.99 | None | |
| Discover www.discoverbrokerage.com5 1-800-347-2683 | L, S | LO, NL, NTF, X | Yes | Yes | RT quotes | Blue Chip Basket, Equity Research (subscription), Quicken/Money data download | $19.95 | |
| DLJDirect www.dljdirect.com6 1-800-825-5723 | L, S | LO, NL, NTF, X | Yes | Yes | Precious metals | StockCenter, FundCenter, S&P, Zacks, Thomson, Briefing.com, Market Monitor | $20 | "Select Client" over $100K, commission reductions, IPOs, toll free dedicated help, more powerful portfolio manager, RT quotes |
| E*Trade www.etrade.com7 1-800-387-2331 | L, S | LO, NL, NTF | Yes | Yes | No fee IRA, extensive links to 3rd party sites, limited RT quotes, E*Trade internet funds | $19.95 | 30+ Trades: PowerTrade RT quotes, TraderDesk 75+ Trades: Platinum. Level 2 RT quotes | |
| Fidelity personal.fidelity.com8 1-800-544-7272 | L | LO, NL NTF, X | Yes | Yes | Precious metals | Extensive mutual fund screening capabilities, employee stock options | $30 | None |
| Mr. Stock www.mrstock.com9 1-800-470-1896 | L, S | LO, NL | Yes | No | No Fee IRA | Edgar, Zacks, Reuters, Second Opinion, RT quotes | $19.95 | None |
| National Discount Brokers www.ndb.com10 1-800-888-3999 | L, S | LO, NL, NTF, X | Yes | Yes | NDB University, Zacks, DBC Online, extensive mutual fund and stock screening | $19.75 | IRA fee waived if balance over $10,000 | |
| Net Investor www.netinvestor.com11 1-800-638-4250 | L | LO, NL | Yes | Yes | Lipper mutual fund reports, S&P, Wall St. Whispers, First Call, tax lot accounting | $19.95 plus 1 cent/share | Free RT quotes for active traders | |
| Quick & Reilly www.quickwaynet.com12 1-800-837-7220 | L, S | LO, NL, NTF | Yes | Yes | Flexible Mutual fund search, Zacks, Reuters, RT quotes, INVESTools, MarketEdge | $19.95 | None | |
| Charles Schwab www.schwab.com13 1-800-435-4000 | L, S | LO, NL, NTF | Yes | Yes | Stock screening, industry close-ups, user profile stored for "Schwab Answers" additional tools | $29.95 | Signature Services for balances over $100,000, priority phone, free research | |
| Muriel Siebert www.msiebert.com14 1-800-872-0711 | L, S | LO, NL, NTF, X | Yes | Yes | Instinet and Selectnet trading, RT quotes and news, CBS MarketWatch, Zacks | $14.95 | Discounted commissions for frequent traders and high account balances | |
| SureTrade www.suretrade.com15 1-401-642-6900 | L, S | LO, NTF | Yes | Yes | RT Quotes, links to Zacks, Briefing.com, iSyndicate, Reuters, others | $9.95 | None | |
| Wall Street Access www.wsaccess.com16 1-800-925-5781 | L, S | LO, NL | Yes | No | BT Alex Brown research, TheStreet.com, Zacks, CBS MarketWatch | $25 | ActiveTrader rebates RT quotes free. | |
| Wall Street Electronica www.wallstreete.com17 1-888-925-5783 | L, S | LO, NL | Yes | Yes | CyberAdvisor investor-focused Web browser, RT quotes, news, Zacks | $19.95 plus 2 cents/share | Frequent trader bonuses: commission rebates | |
| Waterhouse Securities www.waterhouse.com18 1-800-555-3875 | L, S | LO, NL NTF, X | Yes | No | Dow 30 fund, AA mileage bonuses, stock and fund screening, RT quotes | $12 | None | |
| A.B. Watley: Ultimate
Trader www.abwatley.com19 1-888-229-2853 | L, S | LO, NL | Yes | Yes | Connects direct to Watley via Internet. Fast and flexible, level II quotes, DJ news | $12.95-$23.95 Depends on level of service & trade frequency | Frequent trader benefits: commissions waived, free Level 2 | |
| A.B. Watley: Watley Trader www.abwatley.com20 1-888-229-2853 | L, S | LO, NL | Yes | Yes | Web-based. Briefing.com, many links to 3rd party research | $9.95 | None | |
| Web Street Securities www.webstreetsecurities.com21 1-800-932-8723 | L, S | LO, NL | Yes | No | RT quotes, Baseline reports, lots of Java scrolling tickers, RT portfolio valuation | $14.95, free if order is 1000+ shares | None | |
| Jack White & Company www.jackwhiteco.com22 1-800-753-1700 | L, S | LO, NL NTF, X | Yes | Yes | Can short Mutual funds, Precious metals, commodities | Market Financials, Quote.com access | $12 | None |
Legend:
L=Long, S=Short LO=Load, NL=NoLoad, NTF=No Trx Fee,
X=Exchange Y=Yes N=No
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